Rekindled
by Damsel Degrassi
Summary: One shot right after AFD2. Clare waits for her ride in a pool of emotions, but what happens when an old friend might offer Clare a little more than a ride home?


**ONE SHOT, from Clare's pov. Let me know if you like it(: **

"When I was nine there was this kid, Mike," Eli said. "His hobby was beating me up. "Now matter how fast I ran, he was always faster."

"You're not nine anymore," I falter.

"Well neither are the bullies, so what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't have the answer!" My voice felt like it was wobbling on a balance beam about to collapse. I hated it, us fighting like this, but I was tired of playing this game with him. The rules changed too much. "But if this is it," My voice shook, and I settled my gaze on him. "Then I don't think I can be with you."

"_When you get back from break, you won't recognize this school at all."_

Tears seared the back of my eyes as I sat on the steps of Degrassi, blanketed in silence except for the hidden crickets chirping in the night sky. The bitter cold air wrapped around my arms. I shivered. I could feel the concrete digging into my thighs, but I felt too numb to get up. Too weak. Too vulnerable.

_This was supposed to the night where everything would turn good again._

And some stupid guy ruined it, I seethed silently. Anger roiled inside me at the thought of Eli. I couldn't believe how stupid he had made me act, brain washing me into getting into all of this again. After I got over KC, the walls I built around my emotions were so strong, so secure; I felt like nothing could tear them down. And now all of a sudden Eli comes along and the walls shatter without hardly being touched.

I was tired of constantly coming to Eli's rescue, and him constantly refusing it. We were going in circles around each other with no breaking point. I was just a raindrop, free falling through the air and waiting for someone to catch me. I relied on him, and he sat back and watched me collide into the ground.

With a pang of sadness, I remembered the first week of school when we met. The way his hearse crunched the gravel as he ran over my glasses. _I think they're dead,_ were his first words. The gleam in his emerald green eyes when he gave me his signature smirk.

The way his lips moved like a butterfly when he spoke, and how I could feel his heartpound when we kiss. All the moments we had shared in the past few months passed through my mind in a gushing stream of images.

"_I can't be friends with you Clare. I like you too much."_

"_Who says I'm trying to impress you?"_

"_Juliet could join Romeo in death, but instead decides he's not worth it, and chooses life. Go Juliet!"_

"_Leave your bike here."_

"_Hi, Eli. How are you today? I'm good, Clare, thanks for asking."_

"_Twist my rubber arm... girlfriend."_

"_Romeo! You drank the poisonous high-fructose cola beverage, no!"_

"_It's not fair. Why should I get to be happy?"_

The sudden sound of motors snapped me from my daydreams and I jerked my head up, expecting to see Mom.

"Need a ride?"

"KC?" My heart hammered. Though the romance I had with him was veiled enough by now, the wounds were still visible. I tried to keep collected.

"Come on. You're here all alone, I can take you home."

I tore my gaze from him and stared at my shoes. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Clare, its almost midnight, and its freezing. Just get in the car."

I look up at him. "Jenna's my friend."

His eyes darken ever so slightly. "This has nothing to do with Jenna. Plus Eli clearly ditched you, so it doesn't look like you have another choice." The way he spat out Eli's name tore my insides. The hurt must have been visible, because KC gave me a sympathetic look. "Look, Clare... you're better than this. You're smart, and funny, and cute, and if he can't see that, than Eli doesn't deserve you."

I blush, but still can't bring myself to look at him. It was embarrassing, your ex seeing you heaped on the steps, vulnerable like this with your walls down. I hesitate, and then speak slowly.

"You'll only take me home?"

**Okay so some comments I got questioned if this was a one shot because of the ending, so yes, this probably will be a one shot because I'm not quite sure how to broaden KC/Clare unless writing how they hung out all spring break again. And yes, confused, i did upload the whole thing, it just had sort of a Clare-giving-in theme at the end. Sorry for confusion (:**


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